FRECA: Brando Badoer sets the pace on the Mugello roller coaster in the First Collective Test

The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine returned to action this morning on the Mugello circuit, where the championship organized by ACI Sport and Alpine Racing reached the halfway point of the season. The rolling hills of Mugello provide the perfect backdrop for what is proving to be an excellent season, evidenced by the high level of competitive balance both on and off the track among the participants.
 

On the Tuscan track, it was the Italian Brando Badoer who shone in the first Collective Test, continuing his streak of positive results that saw him as a protagonist in the last three races, where he secured three second-place finishes. Now, he has set his sights on his first championship victory. Behind the Van Amersfoort Racing driver was Tuukka Taponen (R-ace GP), the star of the previous Hungarian round, trailing by just over a tenth of a second. The Finn was followed by MP Motorsport‘s Nikita Bedrin, who returned to compete in FRECA after missing the previous round due to his parallel participation in Formula 3 races.
 

The fourth and fifth fastest times were set by Prema Racing teammates James Wharton and Rafael Camara. Michael Belov also performed well, securing the sixth fastest time in a Trident team car, ahead of Ivan Domingues (Van Amersfoort Racing), who was the fastest rookie on track. Rounding out the top 10 were Alessandro Giusti (ART Grand Prix), Ugo Ugochukwu, and Kanato Le (G4 Racing).